Dorn tells Quins: 'Let's do it for Powell'

LUKE DORN wants Harlequins Rugby League to end the Super League season on a winning note for head coach Rob Powell.

Quins started the season on fire under rookie boss Powell, leading the table early on after notching wins at Leeds and St Helens among others.

However, a winless run of 13 games saw Quins plummet to more familiar territory, before a 40-22 win over Wakefield in June broke that lean spell.

Six more defeats followed before a Dorn hat-trick helped Quins beat Leeds 32-22 on Saturday – only their second victory in 20 games.

Those three tries saw Dorn become the club's all-time top try scorer, breaking Scott Roskell's record of 86 touchdowns.

Quins now have a weekend off, but follow that with their two final games, at Huddersfield Giants and at home to St Helens.

And Dorn believes taking points off the pair will be the perfect way for the players to pay back Powell for giving him a tough first season.

He said: “Rob has put an enormous amount of work in for a first time coach with no experience, and we've desperately wanted to win for him.

“It's the players' fault. We have to take the blame for those losing streaks, as we're the ones out there on the pitch.

“That victory over Leeds was definitely for Rob, we've owed him one, and it would be nice if we could push on and give him a few more wins to end the season on a high.

“It would also put us in good stead for next year, and give us the confidence during the off-season.”

Last week, Powell told your favourite local newspaper that he would rather sign Australians in it for the long haul than northerners seeing the club as a stepping stone.

Since then, he has signed two more in the shape of Manly Sea Eagles' Shane Rodney and Newcastle Knights' Antonio Kaufusi – making his first five captures for next year all from Down Under.

And Dorn, himself an Aussie, agreed with Powell's sentiments, saying: “Perhaps Rob was speaking generally, as northern lads like Jason Golden and Chris Melling are committing themselves to the cause.

“But the difference is with Australians is, when you're coming such a long way, you tend to make London your home for a good few years – there's not the option of popping back home.

“The two new lads are exciting signings, while the two we have signed from Crusaders have already proved themselves in Super League, and even at my age I'm excited about the prospect of playing alongside Craig Gower.”

Quins' other scorers against Leeds were Mark Calderwood and Jamie O'Callaghan, while Luke Gale kicked six goals.